Teghan's top 5 things to do this weekend in and near Winnipeg (July 7-9)

The city will be a ghost town this weekend with the Winnipeg Folk Festival on at Birds Hill Park.

The festival has scaled back a bit this year, but there are some big names to see and some locals to enjoy in the sun.

The price tag is a bit high for a single day at $93, but you can save a bit of money by going for a full festival pass at $249.

If you can afford the ticket price, here are the five acts not to miss.

WHAT: WFF Begonia

When: Friday, July 7,7 p.m.

Where: Big Blue at Night

Begonia is having a moment right now, and we aren't getting a ton of chances to see Alexa Dirks on local stages, so this is one you're going to want to take advantage of.

She's got the voice and presence to keep your attention after a long day of work and in a crowd full of people (and probably also mosquitoes). Plusthis stuff is new and fun and relaxing.

Begonia performs Juniper at CBC

8 years ago

Duration 3:20

Begonia (Alexa Dirks) performs Juniper live in the CBC Manitoba studio.

WHAT: WFF City and Colour

When: Friday, July 7,9:45 p.m.

Where: Main Stage

2005 is calling, and it's saying, "Hey, remember when you used to listen to City and Colour on road trips and his debut album still reminds you of that one person you dated forever ago?"

Well, you can go have some weird feelings about it during a Friday night set from Dallas Green and his band on the Main Stage.

Their new stuff is absolutely delightful. Truly, it's very good. Check out this video for Lover Come Back and you'll see.

WHAT: WFF Richard Inman

When: Saturday, July 8,3 p.m.

Where: Little Stage

I feel like Richard Inman should have gotten a more high-profile stage and a later time slot because he's too good to be missed while people are seeking shade in beer tents or grabbing afternoon snacks.

He's usually playing small venues in Winnipeg, so there's a good chance some festival goers won't realize how great a set they're in for.

This is very good country music. Listen to his track Milner Ridge before you go.

WHAT: WFF Feist

When: Saturday, July 8,9:45 p.m.

Where: Main Stage

This is an obvious one. Feist just dropped her first album in six years, and this is very likely the only chance to see her perform in Winnipeg in the near future.

The very stripped-down Pleasure isn't too much of a departure from her previous work, though it's a bit less pop-y.

I expect she will play some old favourites, so longtime fans should be satisfied with the Saturday night set.

WHAT: WFF Joey Landreth

When: Sunday, July 9,7:20 p.m.

Where: Main Stage

This one is top of my list, despite catching Landreth not too long ago at The Park Theatre.

I've been a longtime fan of the Bros. Landreth, and Joey Landreth's solo stuff does not disappoint, nor does his ridiculously charming and engaging stage presence.

Whiskey is the title track/single from the new album, but I really think the record only gets more impressive after that track.

Non-Winnipeg Folk Festival options

Spending $93 for a day of music is unrealistic for a lot of folks, so here are some other options to keep you busy in town that are very affordable and very, very fun.

WHAT: COMEDY Women's Open Mic Comedy

When: Friday, July 7,8:30 p.m.

Where: Wee Johnny's at177 McDermot Ave.

Cost: FREE

Women's Open Mic Comedy is back at Wee Johnny's with the warmest, funniest and quite possibly the best local comedy host Dana Smith.

Food and snacks are cheap, cover is free and spots are limited, so show up on time!

WHAT: ART Synonym First Friday After Party

When: Friday, July 7,10 p.m.

Where: Tallest Poppy at 685 Westminster Ave.

Cost: $5

How many Synonym parties can I send you to? So many.

They're having another one this weekend and 3Peat is releasing their latest music video there.

They'll be performing and DJing (even though cover is only $5!), and there will be work from Keegan Steele's recent residency.

This one is an accessible venue!